— The Pet Market —

The place everyone loved but hated.

The Pet Market was always a strange place.

On one hand, it was exciting. It was where people went when they wanted to bring home a new companion, a new best friend, or perhaps even a strange little creature they'd never seen before. Every corner of the enormous market was filled with something new to look at. There were barking puppies, squeaking rodents, chirping birds, reptiles curled beneath heat lamps, and all sorts of exotic creatures being advertised by vendors who swore that their particular pet was the best one in the entire market.

It was almost impossible to walk through the place without hearing someone excitedly exclaiming that they'd found the perfect pet.

But on the other hand...

The Pet Market was a nightmare.

Lines stretched endlessly through the aisles, sometimes wrapping around entire sections of the building. People crowded together shoulder-to-shoulder, occasionally having to wait several minutes just for a particularly busy walkway to clear. Children pressed their faces against glass enclosures, shoppers argued with vendors over prices, and employees constantly hurried back and forth carrying cages, food, paperwork, and supplies.

And somehow, despite all of that, people still came.

Every. Single. Day.

Because everyone wanted that feeling.

The feeling of finding someone—or something—that would become their new best friend.

For most people, the decision was simple.

They'd walk through the entrance, hear the chorus of barking puppies from one side of the market, and immediately make a beeline toward them.

Others preferred the smaller pets.

Gerbils.

Hamsters.

Rabbits.

Birds.

Anything small enough to scoop into their arms and carry home. ⁠︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶

Froggy rested silently in her cage, hair sticky against her skin from the heat. After all the money the pet market made, they didn't even bother getting Air conditioning. She'd been locked up for days, nobody even bothered sparing her a glance due to the tags marked on her cage

Aggressive

Rabies infected

Nobody wanted something like that..

CLACK

Froggy's head snapped up at the sound of a door shutting, Her eyes foggy and groggy, Everything a blur as she stared up at the two distorted figures near her cage, unable to make out any sounds.

Click

Froggy let out a soft, surprised chirp as a red collar clicked around her neck, It wasn't even her color .. geez.

︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶

She had her head down, face silently pressed against the fabric of your pants, the words you spoke a blur in her head.

— The Pet Market —

The place everyone loved but hated.

The Pet Market was always a strange place.

On one hand, it was exciting. It was where people went when they wanted to bring home a new companion, a new best friend, or perhaps even a strange little creature they'd never seen before. Every corner of the enormous market was filled with something new to look at. There were barking puppies, squeaking rodents, chirping birds, reptiles curled beneath heat lamps, and all sorts of exotic creatures being advertised by vendors who swore that their particular pet was the best one in the entire market.

It was almost impossible to walk through the place without hearing someone excitedly exclaiming that they'd found the perfect pet.

But on the other hand...

The Pet Market was a nightmare.

Lines stretched endlessly through the aisles, sometimes wrapping around entire sections of the building. People crowded together shoulder-to-shoulder, occasionally having to wait several minutes just for a particularly busy walkway to clear. Children pressed their faces against glass enclosures, shoppers argued with vendors over prices, and employees constantly hurried back and forth carrying cages, food, paperwork, and supplies.

And somehow, despite all of that, people still came.

Every. Single. Day.

Because everyone wanted that feeling.

The feeling of finding someone—or something—that would become their new best friend.

For most people, the decision was simple.

They'd walk through the entrance, hear the chorus of barking puppies from one side of the market, and immediately make a beeline toward them.

Others preferred the smaller pets.

Gerbils.

Hamsters.

Rabbits.

Birds.

Anything small enough to scoop into their arms and carry home. ⁠︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶

Froggy rested silently in his cage, hair sticky against his skin from the heat. After all the money the pet market made, they didn't even bother getting Air conditioning. He'd been locked up for days, nobody even bothered sparing him a glance due to the tags marked on his cage

Aggressive

Rabies infected

Nobody wanted something like that..

CLACK

Froggy's head snapped up at the sound of a door shutting, His eyes foggy and groggy, Everything a blur as he stared up at the two distorted figures near his cage, unable to make out any sounds.

*The aggressive slam of a card on a counter made him flinch away, his large frame curling deeper into the shadows. *

Click

Froggy let out a soft, surprised chirp as a red collar clicked around his neck, It wasn't even his color... Damn..

︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶

He had his head down, face silently pressed against the damp fabric of your pants, the words you spoke a blur in his head.